Tar and chip driveways in Newtownards

How much should I budget in Newtownards?

Local guide rates for Newtownards (Northern Ireland, about 12% below our UK midpoint):

Item	Guide price (inc VAT)
Tar and chip drive with a new sub-base	£40–£66 per m²
Example: 50 m² drive	£2,000–£3,300
Example: 100 m² drive	£3,950–£6,600
Example: 200 m² drive	£7,500–£12,550

As a 2026 guide in Newtownards, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £40–£66 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £3,950–£6,600. Guide only; the survey confirms a fixed price.

Planning and kerb rules for Newtownards

In Northern Ireland, the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 allows a hard surface between the front of a house and a road without permission if it is porous or drains to a porous area within the property, once it exceeds 5 m². Listed buildings and some access changes need permission. Any new or altered vehicle access onto a public road needs approval from DfI Roads, not the council.

What the price covers

Tar and chip, also called surface dressing, is a layer of bitumen sprayed onto a prepared base and immediately covered with stone chippings, which are rolled in so the surface looks like gravel but behaves like a bound drive.

Base prepared: new MOT Type 1 sub-base, or an existing sound tarmac or stone base
Chippings spread straight onto the binder
Rolled to bed the stones in
Loose surplus chippings swept up after a few days
Second coat where a double dressing is specified

Layer by layer

Covering Newtownards

What applies in Newtownards. Newtownards is covered on our County Down rounds, 5 miles from Bangor, County Down.

Postcodes: BT23
Area: County Down
Nearest towns: Comber (4 miles), Dundonald (4 miles), Bangor (Down) (5 miles), Holywood (6 miles)
Pricing: Northern Ireland, about 12% below our UK midpoint
Kerb approvals: DfI Roads

Close to Newtownards: Comber, Dundonald, Bangor (Down), Holywood, Castlereagh.

Questions about tar and chip driveways in Newtownards

Do you cover all of Newtownards?

We cover Newtownards including BT23, and nearby Comber, Dundonald, Bangor (Down).

How much does a tar and chip driveway cost in Newtownards?

As a 2026 guide in Newtownards, tar and chip driveway work runs at about £40–£66 per m² including VAT, so a 100 m² drive is roughly £3,950–£6,600. Edging, drainage and a dropped kerb are priced separately where needed.

Will someone visit before I get a fixed price in Newtownards?

Yes for new surfacing such as drives, paths, private roads and car parks. Small repairs are often priced from photos; if a visit is needed for a repair-only job, we tell you any charge first.

How long will the work take at my Newtownards property?

Often 1–3 days depending on base work. We book Newtownards surveys alongside other jobs in County Down, and give you dates once the specification is agreed.

More we do in Newtownards

Send us a postcode, a rough size and a photo or two, and we'll come back with survey dates for Newtownards.